For conventional cameras, there is a fundamental trade-off between depth of field (DOF) and noise. Generally, cameras have a single focal plane, and objects that deviate from this plane are blurred due to defocus. The amount of defocus blur depends on the aperture size and the distance from the focal plane. To decrease defocus blur and increase DOF, the aperture size must be decreased, reducing the signal strength of the recorded image as well. In many cases, it is desirable to have a DOF that is as large as possible so that all details in the scene are preserved. This is the case, for instance, in machine vision applications such as object detection and recognition, where it is desirable that all objects of interest be in focus. However, stopping down the lens aperture is not always an option, especially in low light conditions, because it can increase noise, which in turn can materially impact the recorded image.